A celebration of fall

One thing that I managed to take for granted as I grew up in southern Missouri was the beauty of the changing seasons. As with any child, I appreciated the annual snowfall that allowed for snow angels and school cancellations as well as the hot months that signaled summer vacation with trips to the lake. For many years, though, the stunning colors painted on fall leaves by the Master Artist eluded me.

Over the past few years we have lived in states that, though beautiful in their unique ways, only see brief glimpses of a transition into fall. Because of this, I have come to appreciate this season even more and felt it should be celebrated this week. So, I made my own colorful fall leaf cake!

First, I made the leaves (so fun!). I started by dying my fondant burgundy and light brown, then rolling it thinly onto a greased surface. I used cookie cutters to create the shapes.

Each leaf needed to have details added to create a natural feel and shape. These details can be created in numerous ways since all leaves are different. The veining tool made by Wilton was very handy for this task.

Once the leaves are cut and detailed, I arranged them to dry. I used little plastic molds that are meant to give petals, leaves and flowers a curved shape. Empty egg cartons are also great containers to use for this if you don't have anything else.

You will notice that I tried to place each leaf differently so it would dry in its own unique way.

Normally, at this point I would suggest allowing your fondant or gum paste to dry for several hours before moving on to the next step. However, this time I was too anxious to wait an appropriate amount before completing the next step.

Because. . . what is even better than beautifully colored fall leaves?

Beautifully colored fall leaves that sparkle! Okay, okay. . . I know this doesn't occur in nature, but trust me, you will be glad you added it to your celebration leaves!

See? I told you. I used luster dust on mine, which worked fabulously. You can find this little gem at your local craft store in a lot of different colors.

Once your leaves are dry, you can begin putting your cake together! I chose to cover mine with fondant for practice, but you could easily do this same project by covering your cake with your favorite icing.

Next, I covered the top of my cake with sprinkles. This is an optional step, but I had these lovely golden sprinkles that were begging to be used.

Then I arranged the leaves around the base of the cake. Using a bit of buttercream icing will make your leaves stick wherever you place them.

Voila! The celebration cake is complete. I chose to proudly display mine on a cake plate that my dad made for me. Isn't it lovely?

Happy fall everyone! And to those of you in those charming Midwestern states, please enjoy the leaves a little extra for me this year!